The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-25
THE GERRYMANDER INFAMY.
A Report from the Committee on Elec-
tons That Exposes the Outrage.
Appropriation Bills for General Purposes In
troduced-The Fee-and-Salary Measure
Passes the House, with Votes to Spare.


ercised about the condition of legislation caused
by the revolutionary action of Democratic Sem
ators They went quietly about their business
the majority maintaining dignifed indiffer-
ence to the affairs of the Senate until the ma
jority there was disposed to recognize its presid-
ing officer elected by the people, Lieutenant
governor Robertson. When the Conger
meteorological bill was passed, Speaker Sayre
leaving revolutionary Democrats to whistle
down the winds, far as he is con-
cerned, told the Clerk to take the
bill to the Senate only when the
House had received notification that
Lieutenant-governor Robertson was exercising
his rights as presiding officer of that body. Ali
other bills will be subject to the same direction.
After this the regular order was pursued without
a noticeable feature, until Chairman Kercheval
of the committee on elections. reported back the
concurrent preamble and resolution referred to
it some days ago with long report. The mat
ter of reference pertained to the unjust appor-
Torment of congressional and legislative dis
tricts by the inst Legislature, and provided for
the appointment of joint committee to consider
the question Of bringing about AFFAIR apportion-
ment On behalf of the majority of the com
diner, Grifiths, Dunn and Carrick-the report
stated that it so apparent that the act of 1885,
tlhich creates the congressional districts, Is out
rngeously unfair, that it is not necessary to 90
into details The Democratic party for many
years has not had majority of voters in this
State, and it is still in the minority, the other
parties having the majority. yet the Democratic
Legislature of 1885, in defiance OF this fact, and
in violation of the commonest principles of just
ice, 30 ger,ymandered tho counties of the State
to give, on the basis of the party vote in 1884,
ten of the thirteen congressional districts to the
Democratic party. This was done, notwith-
standing the self evident fact that the Demo
cratic N. ,ority was not justly entitled to more
than six out Of the thirteen congressman allotted
to this State. Nothing moro need be said to
prove that this was a deliberate and wicked at
tempt to disfranchise at least one-fourth Of the
voters of the State.
AS to the legislative districts, 1t is provided
by the Constitution ann the statute that there
shall be every six years enumeration of all
the male inhabitants of the State over the age
of twenty-one years. See Article 4, Section of
the Constitution and Revised Statutes of 1851.
Sections 4780 and 1902. 1t is also provided by
the Constitution that the number of Senators and
Representatives shall at the session next follow
ing each period of making such enumeration be
fixed by law and apportioned among the several
counties according TO the number Of male in
habitants above twentyone years of age in
EACH lSee Article T. Section B. Now let us
see if this constitutional command was obeyed
in the enactment Of the legislative apportion-
ment law of 1885.
The enumeration of 1883, upon which the ap-
portionment should by lawbe based showed 494,
$50 male inhabitants over twenty years of
age in the State There are fifty State Senators,
hence each Senator should represent, or have for
constituency one fftieth part of such inhabit-
-aox or . 1913 male inhabitants over twenty -one
years of age or voters, as we may call them for
brevity. There being ninety two counties in the
State, and most of them having voting popula-
ton of less than 1898 two or more counties must,
In most cases. hecom bined to form senatorial dis
trict. 1t is in the making of these combinations
Of counties with the single idea Of creating
Democratic districts, ana with little regard to
securing to each county its just representation
that most of the injustice has been done
Marion county has voting population
according to the last enumeration of 29,Sl2
This is a sufficient constituency for three Sena-
tors, with surplus over. But instead OF giving
it three separate Senators, it is given two sepa-
rate Senators and joint Senator with Hancock
county and Shelby county, both OF which have
Democratic pluraties largely in excess of the
Republican plurality in Marion county. So that
the Senator elected in the district is almost GER
tain to be Democrat instead of a Republican,
rs he would with almost much certainty have
been had he been given to Marion county alone.
But, not satisfied with oblterating the Repub-
lean plurality in Marion county, in
the Ca case Of n this one j Joint ssn "a
Hancock and Shelby counties are again
used to wipe out Republican pluralities in two
other counties. Hancock county, with Demo-
cratic plurality of $50, is joined with Rush coun-
ty with Republican plurality of 347 for the
election of joint Senator And, in like man.
ner Shelby county, with Democratic plurality
of 5Sl, is jored with Decatur county, which has
Republican plurality of 30 By this double
use of lhe Democratic ~pluralities in the two
pluraities in the three counties of Marion, Rush
and Decatur rendered unavailing.
In the same way Brown county is twice
sought to be used in nullfying the Republican
pluralitiss of Monroe and Morgan counties, be-
ing made part of two joint senatorial districts,
one composed of Brown. Bartholomew and Mon
roe counties and the other of Brown, johnson
and Morgan counties 1t not only destroys the
Repubiicanipluraties in the two counties named
but to effect this it is given large excess OF
representation. Though it has voting popula
tion of but 260, it is given o share in two ioinl
Senator'S while Randolph, with voting popu
iation OF 6,7l0, Wabash county, with voting
population of 6.495. Henry county, with a vot
ing population of G, 2S3, and many other large
counties have only q representation Of one join
Senator.
The perversity of the senatorial apportion
rnons Is illustrated with special perspcuity II
me DISTRICTS formed or the TOUR counties OF Jon
nines, jefferson, Scott and Clark. Jennings
with voting population of 3. 7s7. gave Repub
lican plurality of 26s; jefferson county has {, so
and gave a Republican plurality of 462; Scot
county has avoting population OF ]. 1903, and CAV
Democratic plurality of 305, and Clsrk COUNTY
has voting population of 1919 ard gave
Democratic plurality Of 800 The report con
cludes that due regard for the rights Of the ma
jority would have joined the two Republican
counties together and the two Democratic toge.h
err giving two districts of nearly equal popula
ton and proper size, one having 1857 voters an
the other 9,682 Each could have had ono Sen,
tor Instead of doing this Jennings, Scott an
Clark counties constitute one district and Jeffer
son and Clark another. Each district has a Dor
ulation largely in excess of the proper humble
for senatorial district, one bayinG c1 Vol .,
and the other IL, 949 The Democratic niuralit
of Clark makes both bountifully Democrati
thus DISTINGUISHING the Republicans of two cou,
4io-